Flurries of snow bade greeting to her as she reached the outer fringes of Winterhold, the silhouettes of the foremost buildings coming into view. The long ascent up the narrow paths of the mountain had been treacherous yet, Imari was neither phased nor exhausted. Her ears circled round, checking every direction for even the slightest sounds of potential threats. This was dangerous country as many sabre cats and frost trolls roamed these peaks. Not to mention the fact Dragons also liked to frequent the skies around the entire ice-riddled range. Catching only the sounds of wind, falling snow, and the distant footsteps of soldiers as they patrolled the streets beyond, she flicked her tail in satisfaction and proceeded into town.
Night had fallen and the cobblestone roads were vacant of townsfolk, making Winterhold seem more like abandoned ruins than usual. Imari left the feeling hanging in the air, refusing to acknowledge it. Instead, she kept her focus on her intended destination, shaking off the snow that had gathered on her ears and muzzle while simultaneously ignoring the glares from passing guards. She was more than used to the many disapproving eyes that would adhere to her wherever she traveled, for her people, the Khajiit, had been frowned upon always. The markings of her pelt did not help any.
With the majority of her fur being a deep dark, earthy, brown, the contrasting white accents were sharp. Covered in black stripes of various lengths, they were hard to see against the brown but were bold against the white. Essentially, white marked her palms and the soles of her feet, continuing up the inner sides of her legs and arms, the underside and tip of her tail, across her chest and abdomen, hinting at her throat, and splashing across her muzzle and face. the markings on her inner limbs were fairly bone shaped, with the white on her abdomen resembling a pelvis bone. In the cases of the remaining patterns, they were accented by black stripes. For her torso, these stripes curved to follow the shape of her ribs and streaked between each one, excluding where her breasts were. Also, they underlined her collar bones. As for her neck and tail, the white there was very thin in width, and ringed with the black, depicting vertebrae.
Of all her markings, however, her face was the most shocking. White spread from her muzzle, up and around her brow, and fading into brown on her forehead and cheeks. It also covered her chin, fading into the darker fur underneath and was separated from the white of her muzzle by thin stripes that connected to the black rim of her mouth. From this thin rim that outlined the mouth were vertical stripes, found no where else on her body. Small, thin, and short, they made an outline of jagged teeth. Her black nose bore a similar stripe on each side, and her eyes were heavily lined in black, with thick lines falling from their innermost corners and running down her face to the ends of her jaw. All of this together effectively created the image of a beast skull that cried black from its sockets when her eyes were closed.
Her eyes themselves were a toxic green and nearly shaded by locks of glossy black hair. This hair hung over her forehead and fell down the back of her neck in curvy strands ending slightly past her shoulders. Some of these strands were weaved into a braid on each side of her face. Pointed ears rose up through the locks, black on the outside, brown on the inside, and completed with short white tufts. Though the majority of her body was covered, hiding most of her skeletal appearance, her face was clearly visible which was all that was needed to add to the unease of anyone she passed.
Imari's destination was not far, and she came upon it quickly. The many arches, high walkways, and sky piercing towers advertised its location, visible from every edge of Winterhold so long as the snowfall was not heavy. There was just one way by which to gain access to the College, as there was one place only where the heightened walkway sloped down to meet the ground. Pausing, her ears reached forward, her nose twitching slightly. Someone was just ahead, shifting their weight and breathing deeply in the chilled air. Her scent not only revealed gender, but also told that she was Altmer. No doubt, this high elf was a sentry, posted to deter any intruders and monitor new arrivals seeking to join their ranks.
Removing snow that clung to her face once again, she pushed forward casually. She greeted the female mer readily on her approach.
"I bid you good evening." Imari offered, ears relaxed and tail still.
A slight glint of surprise briefly lingered in the elf's eyes.
"Same to you, I suppose. I'm sorry, but not just anyone can gain access to the College."
"The Mage's college...Tell me, what does it take to be permitted entry here?"
While Imari's voice did hold the accent of her people, it was softer and her voice was much smoother than most Khajiit.
"This depends on what you hope to find here." The Altmer crossed her arms.
"I am curious about the magic of illusion." Her ears straightened slightly.
"I see. If you hope to join us here in Winterhold, you must first prove you are capable of weilding magic."
Imari gave no reply, but waited patiently, attentive.
"To do this you must cast a spell on the circle before you. If you do not know the spell you are told to cast, I can teach it to you. If you cannot cast the spell, you will be denied entry."
A soft nod showed the elf that the young cat understood.
"I want you to cast firebolt on the circle."
Ears slightly lowering "I will admit I do not know this spell."
Faralda, as the elf was called, taught her both the incantation and how to utilize the spell. She warned Imari never to cast it on other students should she pass the test. With that done, she prompted the Khajiit to try the spell.
Imari took her place a few steps away and conjured the spell into her left hand. Thinking the words, she outstretched her palm towards the circle and spoke the incantation to release it upon her target. Flames shot forth and exploded on the tile before her, burning for a moment before the fire waned.
Satisfied, Faralda motioned for her to continue down the path "Very good. welcome to the college of Winterhold."
Imari gave a deep nod of gratitude, ears back in friendly submission. Stepping past the round tile she headed towards the spired towers, Faralda close behind. She explained as they walked where certain places of importance were located such as the library, the Arch Mage's chambers, and the Hall of Elements where Imari's first class would be held.
It was late, and the many students of the College had just finished their evening meal. Socializing by the arcane well in the Hall of Attainment, their dorm, each was preparing to turn in for the night. The prospect of a soft bed and a decent rest before the classes of the morning was a welcomed thought to most of them as they had been hard at work throughout the day. Onmund was wishing Berlyna a good night, J'zargo, watching and thinking on what he could say to goad the Nord into one last contest before bed, when the doors to the Hall swung open. All of them turned to look, expecting to see Tolfdir returning for the night. What they saw, however, took them aback.
Faralda led someone they had never seen before into their midst. J'zargo instantly straightened himself, locking eyes with the stranger. Both held each other's gaze for a moment, ears pricked forward, noses slightly twitching, but otherwise still and unmoving. The moment passed quickly, both Khajiits seeming indifferent to each other. She gave a nod to everyone else in greeting, but, said nothing. All of them watched as the high elf led her to the empty room next to J'zargo's.
She did not appear to be mage material, as she was clothed in armor and well armed. The armor was light, the tinted green giving it away as glass type, though she wore no helmet. Against her back rested a quiver of various types of arrows and an ebony bow, belted to each thigh was a glass dagger in a leather sheath, and the handle of a carved Nordic knife protruded from her right boot. Resting against her right shoulder was a good sized knapsack, filled to capacity. All telltale signs that she preferred a sharp metallic edge to a handful of magic when challenged by foes.
Faralda left to return to her post, bidding everyone good night as she passed by the arcane well that lit the common room. Their eyes returned to the stranger, who had just set her knapsack down upon the bed. She turned her face to peer back at them, an ear tilting in their direction. J'zargo stopped staring and quietly wandered to his room, uninterested in investigating her any further at this time. Berlyna, kind hearted as she was, offered a smile and politely left the new comer to settle in. She was not at all intimidated by what Imari wore or her facial markings. Onmund had a harder time turning away, finding the new student to be utterly strange.
Eventually, she turned her eyes away from his, keeping only her ear attentive to him. She shoved her knapsack beneath her bed, and began to relieve herself of her armor, dressing down to the black, belted tunic and trousers she wore beneath. Moving to place the armor in the wardrobe, she wandered out of sight, bringing Onmund out of his daze.
He turned away, briefly berating himself in his mind for being so rude, and headed for his designated chamber. Preparing himself for sleep with haste, he settled beneath the warm skins of his bed and pushed the new arrival from his mind. Reviewing, instead, the new incantations he had learned in his classes throughout the day; he slipped quickly into slumber.
All of the students were asleep by this point. All save Imari, that is. She crept from her room, leaving the dorms behind...
